Keep Your Produce Fresher, Longer With These Containers
I love to stock my kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables… and then go into a panic about using them all before they get all weird and end up in the compost bin. I find that I’m much more likely to eat through my fresh produce if I take the time to prep it all before I store it away, whether that means just washing some peppers or slicing up strawberries. Then storing it in… what? Plastic bags? Tupperware? Who knows?! I certainly don’t know for sure, but what I’ve found and love are the Rubbermaid Freshworks Containers.
They’re your typical reusable food storage containers, but they have a raised rack in the bottom, and a vent in the lid. The vent does something with the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide to keep your produce from, I don’t know, falling victim to the effects of oxidization? (Clearly I have a mind for science.) The tray keeps your fruits and veggies from sitting in any moisture, so they don’t get all wilty and spoiled before you can eat them. No matter how thoroughly I drain my produce before I put it in a Freshworks container, I’m always surprised by the amount of liquid that ends up under that tray.
That little space is what saves you money AND produce
In getting links for this post, I have learned that I use this product in complete defiance of the manufacturer’s instructions. WHOOPS. Apparently you’re supposed to use these containers with completely un-prepped produce. Just come back from the market, toss it in there, and move on. That’s not how I like to do things and also, I still recommend this product even though I have never used it correctly, which I think is an even better endorsement. There are also a lot of reviews that say things like, “This thing sucks. I put in some blueberries and 10 days later they were moldy!” Um, sir or madam, in what universe do you think you can leave bloobs in your fridge for ten days and they’ll still look and taste like they were picked that morning? This is not a miracle product by any means. Take for example, the product I have the hardest time keeping fresh: Blackberries. I don’t know what it is about them, but if I buy blackberries, I need to be on alert, because I have to eat them within, say, five days. That’s not asking a lot, and yet sometimes it seems impossible. So I wash my blackberries and put them in one of these containers, I’m going to get more time simply because of that raised tray keeping the moisture out. I still have to eat them within five days! The difference, I think, is that when I do crack open that Freshworks container, I’m going to be eating almost all of the berries, instead of what I usually have to do: Pick through berry by berry and toss the overly squishy bois in the compost.
See all that juice in the bottom?!
If you’re not expecting a miracle, but could use a small helping hand, I’d highly recommend Freshworks containers. And, if you’re shopping at Target, use this Target hack! I recently bought three more containers because the shelf tag said $14 and when I scanned them with the app they were $7. Your produce can last longer AND you can get a good deal on the container! A double bargain.
